Nearly three years after the city approved funding to upgrade the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, the project remains incomplete. The wait for new theater seating to complete the upgrade has been pushed back to at least summer 2026 amid departmental transitions and procurement delays. The delay extends a yearslong effort to modernize the sizable East […]
Development
Posted inPlanning
Downtown Commission rejects downtown height limits, supports housing funding shift
The Downtown Commission is asking City Council to reject new height limits for downtown towers and, instead, replace the city’s Downtown Density Bonus Program with a funding system tied to future property-tax revenue. Their recommendation, which was approved last week, contrasts with the Planning Commission’s call a day earlier to set a 700-foot cap in […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission recommends multifamily upzoning in Hancock
A small parcel in the Hancock neighborhood may see more intense zoning in the future after winning an endorsement from the Planning Commission during their September 23 meeting. Property owners are seeking a change from multifamily residence-limited density, or MF-1, to multifamily residence-medium density, or MF-3, at 3305 and 3303 Duval Street and 501 and […]
Posted inPlanning
East 11th cocktail lounge plan met with opposition, no recommendation
The owner of a site in East Austin’s Rosewood neighborhood is asking for a zoning change that would allow future development to include a bar. So far, that request has been met with opposition from neighbors and city staff, over nine months of postponement and, most recently, ambivalence from the Planning Commission during their Sept. […]
Posted inPlanning
Council looks to serve up more neighborhood coffee shops
Coffee and cafes are on the City Council menu this week. This Thursday’s meeting will include a resolution that directs city staff to study how small hospitality businesses can open in residential neighborhoods more easily. The proposal from District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter asks the city manager to conduct review of existing city codes […]
Posted inPlanning
Commission approves permit for Austin Resource Recovery center near Colony Park after misgivings, postponement
A conditional use permit requested by the city was approved by the Zoning and Platting Commission during their Sept. 2 meeting. The permit was nearly rejected, and eventually postponed, during an earlier meeting of the commission. The approval will allow redevelopment of 8301 Johnny Morris Road in Northeast Austin into a 131-acre, $253.5 million hub […]
Posted inHousing
Number of evictions in Travis County on track to surpass 2024’s record
Earlier this year, Princeton University’s Eviction Lab came out with a harrowing statistic: Austin’s eviction filings are the highest number they’ve been since 2020. During the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Austin applied an eviction moratorium, but they returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 when the ban was lifted and have since continued climbing. […]
Posted inPreservation
City to demolish historic ruins at Bluff Springs, citing threat to public safety
City staff are stepping in to put the remains of a former Texas Historic Landmark in South Austin out of its misery, after decades of neglect have left the 173 year old ruins a threat to public safety. The structure at 6706 Bluff Springs Road, which was once home to prominent political figures at the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Fed rate cut could help city jump start stalled redevelopment projects
City staff expressed optimism on Wednesday that improvements in capital markets could create positive momentum for stalled redevelopment projects on a variety of city parcels. At a briefing to City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee, staff from the Financial Services Department cited the The Federal Reserve System’s recent interest rate cut as a sign that […]
Posted inHousing
City Council committee considers tenant relocation protections
In 2016, Austin passed the tenant notification and relocation ordinance, meant to ensure that tenants receive adequate notice when there’s demolition or renovation of their home so that they can relocate successfully from development-induced displacement. Now the city is trying to figure out how to put the program into practice. Originally, the city had intended it […]
Posted inHousing
Council to consider creating fund to save older, affordable apartments
The city of Austin may soon launch a public-private fund to help preserve older apartment complexes at risk of demolition, drawing on philanthropic, financial and corporate contributions. The idea is to give property owners access to capital for repairs and upgrades without forcing them to raise rents to cover the costs. On Thursday, City Council […]
Posted inZoning
Undeveloped Milwood tract may see major upzoning
In yet another Northwest Austin zoning case, the Zoning and Platting Commission recommended rezoning for an empty piece of land owned by the recently shuttered Austin White Lime company during their August 19 meeting. The two tracts at 6101 and 6105 Melrose Trail, which represent a combined area of about 5 acres, are located in […]